TIEFighter 1: Resources of the Empire
by FTeik
Summary: Doing your duty for the Emperor is a full-time job. Especially if you're part of a quartet of TIE-jokeys hunting pirates.
1. Chapter 1

StarWars is property of LFL and the big flannelled one. No money is made, since this piece was written just for fun and exercise. All original characters are mine. If you want to use them or distribute this story elsewhere please ask first.

TIE-Fighter: Resources of the Empire

Chapter 1

In the catalogs and star maps of the Galactic Empire's capital on Coruscant the brown dwarf had no name. Just a number, since there were so many stars like this one. M-IR-450,019,023 (M-Spectraltype-InnerRim-450,019,023). To some of the local population of the sector the brown dwarf was known as Durinol. The only thing remarkable about Durinol was its age. When the forces of gravity had pulled together to form the insignificant system - billions of years ago - there was enough matter to ignite the fusion of hydrogen, but not enough to give the new-born star planetary companions. A few hundred asteroids were the only entourage fate had given the brown dwarf on its endless journey through the universe. Not that it mattered. Not for the ancient star and certainly not for its companions.

They lacked the awareness necessary to care.

Something that wasn't true of the four objects that were on a course into the system.

They were small, very small. Smaller than planets, smaller than moons, smaller than most asteroids and comets. Only several meters long, wide and high they were fragile looking, artificial constructs: spherical cockpits attached by thin pylons to hexagonal-shaped heat-radiator-panels, with two tiny thrusters for an ionized particle-stream at their back. It was this thrusters-system that had given them their name:

Twin-Ion-Engine-fighter. TIE-Fighter. The main star fighter of the Galactic Empire.

At the moment those thrusters weren't active. The four fighters were moving with a constant speed of thirty-thousand kilometres every second - ten percent light speed - and since there was nothing in the vacuum of space to slow them down they would keep their speed without the need for additional thrust. This way they would reach the asteroid belt in fourty minutes.

The asteroid-belt and whatever was hiding inside of it.

---

Kolt "Scanner" Ceavers checked his sensors and scopes. Again. His instruments were working in perfect condition. It was time to wake up his flight-mates.

"Alright Red-Flock, we'll do this slow and smooth. Start decelerating at 500 Gs. When we're down to 3,600 kilometres per second we increase to 4,200."

"Great. That prolongs our flight-time by a hour." the complaint came from his wing-man or, in that case, wing-woman.

"You've got a problem with our approach, Farmgirl?" Ceavers asked. The other pilot was right about the additional time, but their slow approach would make it more difficult for potential enemies to discover the approaching TIEs.

"Yes Sir, I wanted this exercise to be over before I'm running out of oxygen, Sir." answered Hella "Farmgirl" Jalpa.

Behind the impenetrable lenses of his helmet Kolt Ceavers eyes turned into slits. Hella's voice had been humorous, but sometimes his co-pilot tended to be a little sloppy.

"You haven't forgotten your reserve-tank, Hella?" A standard tank contained enough breathable gases for twenty-four hours and this mission would be over long before that time was up, but to go out without a reserve-tank...

"No, Scanner, I didn't forget the reserve." Hella replied.

"Farmgirl wants this mission to be over, because her space-suit itches. Or rather she is itching. Our good Farmgirl was talking with a collegue from Blue-Flock, when she was supposed to take a shower." explained Tser Shintsky, the third member of Red-Flock.

"BOMBER!" Hella shouted.

"I knew I smelled something." Karamu Stafar, the fourth pilot of the quartet joined the conversation. "But I would have never guessed it to be Farmgirl."

"Wait till we're back, Bomber. I'll get you for that." Farmgirl threatened.

"For what? I wasn't wasting time on the typical female behaviour of talking." Bomber explained.

"Talking is not typical female behaviour." Hella argued.

"Yes it is. Scientifically proven. Your female body-structure is evidence of it."

"Now you've made me curios. How is my female body-structure evidence of being talkative?"

"Because a females butt is larger than her head. Do you know why?"

"I don't want to, but you're going to tell me anyway. So why is a females butt larger than her head?" Hella asked, sensing a trap.

"To save her from falling out of the window while gossiping." Bomber concluded laughing. Stafar joined him and even Ceavers couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"I hope you assholes know that you're a bunch of chauvinistic Gamorreans." Hella thundered.

"Hella, I'm hurt." proclaimed Bomber. "We're the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Navy is anything but chauvinistic."

"Actually we're part of the local sector-group." Hella corrected. "The real Navy is so far above the likes of you, that you'll never see a real battleship. Not even a Star Cruiser when I think about it."

"Now you really hurt him." Kolt complained, who knew about Tser Shintsky's not so secret dream about a rise through the ranks of the galaxy-wide operating part of the Imperial Starfleet.

"I'm not hurt. Not really." stated Bomber. "No ill feelings Farmgirl, huuh?"

"Of course not, Bomber." assured Hella. "Of course me and my butt will still have to get at you, comrade." she said.

"Whenever you wish, Farmgirl." Tser Shintsky answered.


	2. Chapter 2

TIE-Fighter: Resources of the Empire

Chapter 2:

After one and a half hour of constant deceleration the four TIEs had slowed down to a speed of three-thousand kilometres per second. In front of them the small, inner asteroid-belt of the system became visible.

Establishing communications with his comrades Kolt Ceavers gave the final orders. It wouldn't have been necessary, because he and his three wing mates were a well-functioning team, where everybody knew his or her job, but the Imperial Starfleet preferred to do things in a certain way and their flight-recorders were running.

"Stafar you're with me. Bomber, prepare your ordinance. Watch out for my target-telemetry. Farmgirl, you cover him this time. Let's see, if we can scare a few pirates out of their hiding-holes. Red-Flock, split up."

The Quartet of TIEs separated. Hella and Tser stayed behind, while Kolt and Karamu advanced into the asteroid-belt. No longer trying to disguise their approach Kolt used the systems of his fighters to aggressively scan for anything, that wasn't natural. And the active signals of a TIE/fc's (_TIE/fc TIE/fire control: Standard TIE-fighter modified with additional sensors and scanners and communications-equipment to transmit targeting-data to other fighters (especially bombers) and capital ships. To make space for the sensors one of the two laser-cannons is removed_) sensor-suite was impossible to ignore. Less than ten seconds had passed and Kolt's efforts were already rewarded.

Suddenly the scopes of the modified TIE picked up energy-readings from one of the larger asteroids as well as metal-alloys and shapes too regular to be natural. From one moment to the other Scanner's combat-computer was busy identifying possible targets, ranking them by priority and transmitting the information to the rest of the Imperials.

"I have two Corvettes and at least fifteen fighters. Mostly Cloakshapes and Headhunters. Looks like we woke them up." A beeping alarm caused Scanner to pull his fighter to the side, seconds later sulfur-colored beams of laser-energy crossed the TIE-pilots former flight-path. "And two artillery-pieces on a hill. Bomber, you're ready?"

"Yes." Shintsky replied.

A handful of pirate-fighters rose above the horizon, their movements still slow and uncoordinated, but they already started to turn towards the in-coming TIEs and the danger they presented.

"Doesn't look like the drunkards we usually find in such holes." Karamu Stafar commented.

Kolt Ceavers had to agree with his wingman. For a bunch of mixed together, undisciplined pirates those pilots had reacted surprisingly quickly. But not quick enough.

"Lets shake up their formation and make a run over their base."

Kolt Ceaver's foot pressed down on the acceleration-pedal and his thumbs touched the trigger of his sole laser-cannon. Next to him Karamu was doing the same. Together they hurried towards the formation of the enemy, flying close to the ground to stay below the cannons on the hill.

The pirates had parked their fighters as close to each other as possible. Once to reduce the area where hostile sensors could discover them, but probably also because the closeness created a false sense of security. It wasn't easy to sit inside a tight cockpit, separated from vacuum only by a thin layer of transparisteel and far away from your friends. Alone the ability to see them next to you helped to stay sane. Unfortunately for the pirates, what had been intended to keep them safe and undiscovered proved now to be the doom for some of them. Their fighters took off like they had been parked, making it almost impossible NOT to hit.

Getting a targeting-lock Kolt pressed the trigger again, sending green bolts in rapid succession into the hostile formation.

"WHOOHAAAA." hollowed Karamu, while they pulled their fighters up, over the edge of the crater, through the formation of the pirates and over their base, pumping untargeted laser-fire into the pirates' ground-installations. "Two hits, four down."

Behind his face-plate Kolt grinned at the enthusiasm of his wingman. They had both scored a hit, but what was even better was the fact, that their fire had caused some of the pirates to panic. In their desperate attempts to evade the imperial laser-fire one of them hadn't been looking, where he was flying and had rammed one of his comrades. It spoke volumes about the robustness of the two fighters, that they didn't explode at that first impact, but now they were dropping to the ground, where at least one of them exploded.

Two large, white flashes in their back told Kolt, that Bomber had delivered his ordnance and that he and his comrades no longer had to worry about the surface-to-air-cannons. Two concussion-missiles from Bomber's TIE/gt (_TIE/gt TIE/groundtargeter: Standard TIE-fighter modified to carry bombs, missiles and torpedoes. Can carry six proton-torpedoes or twelve concussion-missiles. Predecessor to the actual TIE-bomber. Can fight other ships and fighters despite its name implying otherwise. Has only one laser-cannon._) had made sure of that.

But the two TIE-pilots couldn't be bothered to take notice. At the centre of the crater next to a few containers, that obviously served as provisional base the remaining enemy-fighters and their capital ships were getting ready to take off.

"Bomber, you've got the data on that Marauder?" Kolt shouted. He and Karamu had already passed the base and Kolt wasn't sure, if their unaimed laser fire had caused more damage than scratching the non-existing paint of the two larger vessels. If the two corvettes managed to take of and join the fight the TIEs of Red-Flock were in trouble. Another large explosion closely followed by another flash of white told Kolt, that another two missiles had found a target.

"A clear kill on the Marauder, Scanner. You must have hit their shield-generator during your attack-run."

"More likely they were still trying to get their shield up. Such things take time, when you start cold." Kolt answered, denying credit for the destruction of the corvette until he had checked his flight-log.

"Changes nothing about the outcome." Tser Shintsky's voice was grim.

Small wonder, since he had probably just killed several dozen people. It didn't matter, that they had been pirates; the Imperial pilots had caught them with their defences down. But that was part of the job and Kolt Ceavers doubted that the pirates would have given him and his comrades the courtesy of a forewarning if their positions had been reversed or mourned their death for even a second. From a purely practical point of view it was a good thing that the Marauder was out of the picture. The corvette built by the same company that build their TIE-fighters had hangar-space for a squadron of fighters and considering the fact, that Cloakshapes and Headhunters were hyperspace-capable Kolt wouldn't have been surprised, if the Marauder had carried additional hostiles.

"That leaves just the CR90 and ... how many fighters are left?" Kolt and Karamu were already pulling their fighters around to return to the battle-zone.

"Farmgirl shot one down and the explosion of the Marauder caught three still on the ground. That leaves seven."

"Alright, don't make a direct 180-degree-turn. I want you and Hella to split and fly a circle to attack them from the sides. Me and Karamu make another direct attack-run, that should force them to concentrate on us. And please stay clear of that Corvette."

"I hope you can follow your own advice, Scanner. You have only one laser-cannon."

"Then I must make every shot count."


	3. Chapter 3

While I don't expect people to break out in cheers of excitement, a little feed-back would be nice.

Ah well, not complained is praise enough, as they say in my part of the world.

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TIE-Fighter: Resources of the Empire

Chapter 3

The entire exchange between Kolt and the leading wingman of the "Bomb-team" had only taken seconds. In that time Kolt and Karamu had turned around and were accelerating back towards the pirates, meeting Tser and Hella on the way, which were just leaving the improvised and now damaged base behind. In front of them the Corellian Corvette hovered low above the ground, its shields still de-activated, while the seven remaining pirate-fighters had taken a position high above their capital ship. All eight vessels were firing after Hella and Tser, allowing Kolt and his wingman, who were flying low to use the surface of the asteroid as cover to approach them.

"Why are the shields of that corvette still down?" Karamu wondered.

Kolt was asking himself the same thing, because according to his sensors the hundred-fifty meter long ship was undamaged. "One of us must have scored a hit to a critical system or collateral-damage from Bomber's missiles, but don't get careless. That ship is still armoured and armed enough to make life difficult for us. Now here is what we do: We're getting as close as possible and then pull up. Right through their fighter-formation. If he hasn't to worry about the fighters Bomber can use all his missiles against the corvette."

"They stopped firing at "Bomb-team". Watch out for enemy-fire."

Kolt didn't need the extra-warning. The pirates had been smart enough to keep their forces together. To have the Corvette, which carried most of its weapons on its dorsal side close to the ground hadn't been stupid either. What WAS stupid of the pirates was their willingness to fight. They had lost their base and half of their capital ships. Their remaining capital ship didn't have shields. TIEs usually weren't hyperspace-capable, so somewhere out there had a mother ship to be lurking around. There was nothing to gain for the pirates, if they stayed and fought so the smart thing would have been to cut their losses and run.

Briefly Kolt wondered, when that thought would occur to them, if it would occur at all. On the other hand, that wasn't his problem and he had other things to worry about. From their position high above the surface of the asteroid the Cloakshapes and Headhunters could target any low incoming fighters like himself and his wingman from above and that close to the ground the two wouldn't be able to survive for long. Sooner or later they would have to pull their fighters up and that would bring them into the line of fire of the Corvette's weapons. What the pirates hadn't accounted for was the acceleration and manoverability the TIEs could employ and because of that Kolt and Karamu had covered the distance, where the pirates could fire at them in a lot less time than expected.

Suddenly the grey-white hull of the Corellian Corvette appeared before them, pulling their fighters up the Imperial pilots evaded a collision by only a few meters, pressing the triggers of their laser-cannons they tore through the formation of Cloakshapes and Headhunters from below like a Krayt-dragon into a herd of Banthas.

Or that's what should have happened. Instead the formation of pirate-fighters split apart and allowed the TIEs to pass through them without scoring a single hit.

"Blast." Karamu cursed. "What was that?"

"They must have anticipated our move." Kolt answered, his voice suddenly tense. If the pirates had been anticipating their attack-pattern ... . A look at his scanners confirmed his suspicion. Far behind him the shields of the Corellian Corvette were suddenly up and a bunch of Headhunters were on his tail. "Bomber, Farmgirl, abort. Can you hear me? I said abort." Only static answered him. Static and the electronic buzz of a jamming-field.

"Too late." Karamu stated at the sight of two missiles exploding in the shields of the hundred-fifty meter long vessel without doing much damage. Then they had to worry about the four Z-95-Headhunters that were quickly catching up with them. Crimson blasts of energy were dancing around the two TIEs, some of them impacting against their navigational shields and shaking them through. "We have to get away from this asteroid. That close to the ground we can't exploit our acceleration-advantage."

"But the irregular surface provides us with cover and enforces constant shifts in our flight-path. Once we are below the horizon we can safely turn around. And I don't want to get too far away from Tser and Hella."

Karamu didn't answer him. It wasn't necessary. The chances for their comrades to be still alive weren't good. The pirates they were trying to escape now were a lot better than the usual scum Kolt and his comrades had forced out of their hiding-holes over the last few months. Their initial success had been based on the element of surprise, but once the shock had worn off the pirates had started to fight back a lot better than the Imperials had expected.

"As I expected." Kolt cursed himself. "I should have given the order to abort the mission as soon as I knew about the size of this group, but I thought we could take them. And who in his right mind would send only four TIEs on such a mission? But I agreed, confident, full-of-myself oaf that I am." The leader of Red Flock gritted his teeth at the thought that a combination of institutional arrogance and his own over-confidence would be the reason for the death of himself and his comrades. The impact of a crimson beam of energy into his portside heat-radiator seemed to confirm his dark thoughts. "But not without taking a few of those scumbags with us." he thought grimly.

"You see that gap in front of us?" he asked his wingman.

"The one in the crater-wall?" Karamu asked.

"Yes." Kolt confirmed.

"Scanner, you're crazy. We don't know if ... ."

"All I know is, that we're running out of options. Besides we haven't made a nice trench-run for ages."

Karamu's silence was the only answer. Kolt knew that they were taking a calculated risk. The irregular course of the gap in front of them would cover them from the fire of their persecutors, but it would also force them to decelerate. Once they left the gap they would be low on speed and easier to hit.

The two TIEs rushed into the canyon, crimson laser-blasts following them and lightening up the shadows cast by the walls.

"Seems they're not very happy with us." Karamu shouted. Already the distance was increasing, with the Headhunters falling more and more behind.

"They lack our purity of purpose." Kolt answered.

The reaction of the pirates had erased his former insecurities. Gone was the doubt and guilt about being arrogant from a few moments before. This was their element, flying fighters for the just cause. The fighters of the pirates were more robust than Kolt and Karamu's TIEs and they had shields, so their persecutors should have been able to catch up with them, but they hadn't. While the fragile Imperial fighters were rushing through the canyon, the pilots following them were a lot more careful.

"Small wonder, since the pirates flying the Z-95s are fighting for money and nothing else." Kolt thought with contempt. "And because of that we will beat them."

As if to confirm his thoughts a large explosion appeared behind them, when one of the Headhunters failed to turn in time around a corner and crashed into the canyon-wall.

"One gone, two left." stated Karamu. "Weren't there four of them?"

"There were." confirmed Kolt. "Did you see him destroyed?"

"Negative. Any idea, where he went?"

"Probably taking the easy way and waiting for us on the other side."

"So what do we do?"

"Kill him, once we got rid of those two." Kolt suggested.

Behind them the two remaining Headhunters were catching up and assaulting them with laser fire, what caused the two Imperials to increase the twisting and manoeuvring of their fighters more. All around them laser-blasts were impacting against the walls and ground of the canyon, melting the fabric of the asteroid, throwing splinters of solid and liquefied rock like shrapnel through the vacuum. The liquefied and vaporized soil didn't escape the stronger gravity of the asteroid for long, however, and within minutes it was cooling down, too, forming bizarre shapes as the sole remaining witnesses of the battle going on.

Kolt had his hands full piloting his TIE through the canyon, with his fighter being a little less fine-tuned than Karamu's, because of the amount of sensor-equipment it carried. Again his fighter was shaken through by near-hits and he forced the engine around the next corner. In front of them a large, pillar-like structure became visible and an idea appeared inside his head.

"I think it is time to put an obstacle in our friend's path." he said into his com.

"That pillar?" Karamu asked.

"Yes." Kolt answered, calibrating his targeting-computer and looking out for the Z-95s coming up behind them. "For this to work we have to coordinate our efforts."

"I'm on it, just give the sign."

In front of them the pillar grew larger and larger.

"Almost there." Kolt whispered. Behind them the pirates were coming closer, firing at them again, coming dangerously close to hitting them.

"Kolt, its not going to work." Karamu shouted.

"Don't panic." Kolt stated coldly, although the sweat was running down his forehead with their enemies approaching. "We're almost there."

A hail of crimson laser-energy passed the two TIEs, enemy-fire, that was coming closer and closer towards the thin shells of their spherical cockpits.

"We've got to get out of here."

"Wait." the flight-leader of Red-flock ordered. "Just wait. Wait, wait ... OPEN FIRE."


	4. Chapter 4

TIE-Fighter: Resources of the Empire

Chapter 4

The two Imperial pilots had almost passed the pillar-like structure. Green bolts from three different cannons impacted into the base of the needle, while red bolts illuminated the vacuum around the two TIEs. Then Kolt and Karamu were through, while the tall, slender rock - devoid of its grounding and pushed over by the last shots - dropped down and into the path of the two remaining headhunters. The pilot of the leading Z-95 took a chance and pushed his acceleration-pedal to the limit. Surging forward his speed increased and he passed BELOW the crumbling structure before it hit the ground. The other pirate lacked the nerve of his wingmate, trying to play it safe he hit the brackets and consequently crashed his fighter into the rock suddenly blockading his path.

"Then there was only one." Kolt thought satisfied. "Or two, if we count the one certainly waiting on the other end of the canyon." Aloud he said. "Let's get out of here. Pull up."

"Thought you never ... . BLAST, he is still there ... " Karamu cursed, when angry-red bolts started to impact into his navigational deflectors again and shook his fighter through "... and ... . WATCH OUT, pirate on eleven." Kolt, who had focused on the fighter following them, looked in the direction his wingman had pointed him and there he was.

Descending like an avenging demon, the red light of Durinol at its back the fourth headhunter came down on them. Hitting the bracket Kolt decelerated long enough to turn his fighter enough to cross the flight-path of the fourth Z-95 within moments, dispassionately exploiting the mistake the other pilot had made. To attack somebody with the sun in ones back had to be one of the oldest tricks in the book and the pirate trying to execute it probably thought himself to be a very smart individual. In reality he wasn't very smart at all, since for his trick to work the sunlight had to be strong enough to blind his opponent or to at least cause his optic filters to darken and Durinol - as the brown dwarf it was - didn't provide that kind of light.

Trapped in a moment of tunnel-vision Kolt Ceavers ignored Karamu's shouts of "He's still behind me" and solely concentrated on the other Z-95. Seconds stretched to minutes, when he pressed the trigger of the single cannon available to him moments before his opponent did the same. The green blasts of laser-fire seemed to crawl through the endless night, subconsciously Kolt heard Karamu's cry of "I'm hit" over the helmet-com, he saw the shots impact into the Z-95, ripping it apart in an explosion and then the moment of tunnel-vision, this single-minded concentration on the perfect kill, was over and Kolt became again aware of his surroundings.

Looking around he spotted Karamu's fighter and the Z-95 persecuting him at the horizon of the asteroid. Smoke and sparks formed an artificial tail for the TIE and Karamu had lost much of his velocity.

"Karamu." Kolt shouted. "I'm coming." Pulling his fighter around his foot came down on the acceleration-pedal as if he wanted to press it through the floor of his cockpit.

Coming closer and closer to his prey the Z-95 moved in for the kill.

"Kolt, I can't evade him."

The pirate lined up his fighter behind the TIE, still holding his fire and letting his victim sweat, knowing full well, that he had enough time and wanting the Imperial to suffer for the death of his friends. Kolt realized, that the distance was too great.

"Get out. Eject, I'm too far away." he shouted into his com.

He heard Karamu confirm his ejection-order. The Z-95 started to fire. Karamu's TIE shed his radiator-panels, followed by the wing-pylons, then the top-hatch of his cockpit-ball. The next thing would be the ejection-seat with Karamu in it, but then the remains of the TIE-fighter drifted over the horizon of the asteroid and out of Kolt's sight and still the pirate fired.

"Karamu!" Kolt shouted. "Karamu!"

His wingman gave no answer. Kolt gritted his teeth, hoping against hope, that he didn't receive the signal from Karamu's emergency-beacon because his friend was behind the horizon or that the device was simply malfunctioning. It was possible after all, alone statistically there should be a handful of flawed devices among the billions of emergency-beacons produced every year. Then his training took over. As much as he liked Karamu, as much as he wanted to help his friend, there was nothing Kolt Ceavers could do. And there was still an enemy out there. The enemy, who was responsible for Karamu's peril. And if Kolt didn't do anything about it an enemy, who would escape his just punishment.

For a brief moment the TIE-pilot wondered, if his enemy would engage him, now that it was just the two of them, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Attacking an enemy you outnumbered in an initial burst of anger was one thing, but a duel one against one was another thing. Especially if the comrades of one of the combatants would arrive sooner or later to pick up their non-hyperspace-capable fighter up. Speaking of comrades, what had happened to Tser Shintsky and Hella Jalpa? Had they somehow managed to defeat the other pirates or had they been killed, while doing their duty? And if they had been killed, where were the surviving pirates? And why didn't they come to help their comrade?

With a grim smile Kolt Ceavers realized, that his opponent was probably asking himself the same questions that the pirate had to be worried sick by now. Contrary to all the talk about honour among thieves, there wasn't much loyalty among pirates towards each other and if he knew it the other had to know it, too.

So what would a smart pirate, who knew, that he had probably been abandoned by his friends and with an angry TIE-pilot on his tail, who must have taken off from a mother-ship somewhere out there, do? If he was smart he was trying to keep the horizon between himself and the angry Imperial on his tail and - once he had built up enough distance and velocity - leave the asteroid behind and vanish inside the asteroid-field. With his hyperdrive the pirate should be able to reach a safe harbour for one of his kind on one of the less developed planets or at least a habitable world before his fuel and consumables run out.

It was Kolts task to prevent that.

Accelerating and gaining altitude the TIE-fighter rushed over the rusty-colored surface, trying to catch up with the fleeing Z-95. In less time than anticipated by the Lieutenant the headhunter came into view again.

"Now, I've got you." a vengeful Kolt Ceavers whispered at the sight of the small dot of grey metal that grew rapidly in size. Too rapidly the Imperial pilot realized.

"What the ... ." The Z-95 wasn't trying to get away from him, he was flying towards him. Then Kolt spotted the grey dots behind the approaching Headhunter. Obviously the lone pirate wasn't so alone anymore, but how could that be Kolt wondered. Sure, the asteroid hadn't been the largest of its kind, but they couldn't have surrounded the entire surface and be close to the original base again. Was there a second nest of pirates or what? And what should he do? Make a probably futile attempt at escaping or fight it out against superior numbers and die for sure in the process? Struggling with two equally unappealing options Kolt suddenly realized, that the Headhunter was twisting from one side to the other in something that were clearly evasive manoeuvres. Not daring to trust his eyes alone Kolt took a look at his sensors, but the sensitive equipment had suffered through the hot pursuit around the asteroid. However green laser fire erupting around the fleeing Z-95 confirmed his hopes.

Those grey dots were on his side.

And the next moment they called out to him.

"Blue-One calls Red-Flock, Red-Flock confirm call from Blue-One. Red-Flock, answer me."

Kolt Ceavers was only too happy to oblige. "Blue-One, this is Red-One. Repeat, this is Red-One, Blue-One. Glad you're here, Trell."

"Now why would that be? Maybe because you were up to the neck in nerf-dung, before we appeared?" Blue-Leader asked mockingly, leaving the pirate to his wingmen.

"Bantha-dung, to be precise. Thats where you and your squadron will be if you're not careful, because a corvette full of hostiles is still somewhere out there." Kolt warned and then a flash of light told him, that the last of the headhunters was gone.

"Not anymore." Lieutenant Trell answered. "The Captain took care of that the moment he knew, where the bad guys were hiding. Thanks to you and your wingmates."

"You mean we were used as bait?" Kolt asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Can't tell for sure. But that is our old man for you. Nobody knows, what is going on in his head."

"Yeah." Kolt said slowly. "I guess that is so."

Suddenly he felt very tired.


	5. Chapter 5

iwandamonion: Thank you for your comment. It is always good to get some feedback.

Now to answer your questions: It is impossible for me to tell, which of the two trilogies I prefer. The OT has a more stable set of characters (especially the villains), the entire story moves more fluidly, it has the battle of Hoth and the space-battle of Endor as well as the Executor and Leia in the metal bikini. On the bad side its plot – aside from the father-son-business – is rather simple, almost all the good guys survive and I don't want to talk about those horrible Ewoks or the party-scenes on the different worlds in the end-trailer.

The PT on the other hand suffers from bad cuts, a horrible executed love-story, where it didn't became clear that the thing was doomed from the beginning, changing henchmen, Jar-Jar Binks and the battle of Coruscant, which was a sore disappointment. On the good side the political machinations were excellent, it was highly entertaining to observe how Republic and Jedi were digging their own graves by playing into Palpatines hand and of course the man himself. I also liked how Hayden played Anakin and in my mind ROTS did an excellent job in redeeming Obi-Wan Kenobi as a good guy, because in the OT he comes over as a manipulative old man (although one with good intentions) and in TPM and AOTC he is a jerk.

My "name" is a homage to the German Pulp Sci-Fi-series Perry Rhodan. I had to chose Fencen Teik because Icho Tolot was already taken.

Hope that helps.

TIE-Fighter: Resources of the Empire - Chapter V

In the maps and ship-registries of the Imperial Navy's headquarter on Coruscant the frigate had no name. Just a number, since there were so many ships like this one. ISS-Acc2F-Foerost-13,214 (ImperialStarShip-Acclamator2Frigate-Foerost-Shipyards-Nr.13,214). Its first commanding officer had given the ship the name "Privateer's Bane" and that was the name by which it was known in the local sector group.

A squadron of TIEs divided into four quartets was flying escort around the frigate and its smaller companion. The "Privateer's Bane" was using a tractor-beam to keep the corvette close and under control. The white forms of stormtroopers in their white armour could be seen on occasion through the transparisteel windows of the former pirate-vessel.

Aboard the frigate four men were standing at attention in front of a desk inside the office of the frigate's captain. The first officer Lieutenant-Commander Chromme, who was also the tactical officer of the seven-hundred-fifty meters long ship, Major Kell, who was in charge of the battalion of stormtroopers aboard the "Bane" and the Lieutenants Trell and Ceavers. A fifth man was sitting behind the desk and he was speaking into the ship's log.

"... so after we brought their shields down the remaining pirates immediately surrendered. Stormtrooper-company two was sent over to secure the ship and take the pirates prisoner, what they did with little problems. A handful of the criminals tried to resist their arrest, what resulted in two wounded troopers and five dead pirates. Fifty-three surviving pirates are currently in our custody and undergoing interrogation, while we search through the data-stores of their ship.

All in all the operation was a full success, with no lives lost and three men wounded. I therefore recommend First Lieutenant Ceavers and the Junior Lieutenants Stafar Shintsky and Jalpa for a mention of bravery."

Commander Tanikov, acting captain of the "Privateer's Bane", deactivated the log and looked up at his subordinates.

"That would be all, if you have nothing to add. XO? Major? Lieutenants?"

"Nothing, Sir." confirmed Chromme. "Our individual reports are completed and can be added to your log."

"Excellent." Tanikov said with a smile. Then he turned serious again. "Now that the official business is taken care of, I no longer want to keep you away from your duty-stations. You are dismissed."

Saluting the four officers turned and - in descending order of rank - walked to the exit.

"Lieutenant Ceavers." Tanikov called Kolt back.

"Yes Sir?"

"How is Lieutenant Stafar doing?"

"I can't say for sure." Kolt answered, not knowing why the Captain was asking him. "The medics should be able to give you a proper report."

"The reports of the medics are full of technical details. Small wonder since half of them are droids. I wanted to know how Stafar is doing. Mentally I mean."

"Well, he was shot down, had to eject, crashed on the surface of an asteroid and broke both legs and an arm. It is a miracle, that his vac-suit wasn't pierced otherwise he would be dead. And all because his superior commander used him and his wing mates as bait. So what do you think, how he feels." Kolt answered, giving in to his own anger and the consequences be damned.

"I see." Tanikov said his voice surprisingly calm. "Your anger is understandable, but it is the privilege of the lower ranks. As the Imperial Navy it is our job to keep the peace and to protect civilian space-traffic. That does include the fighting of pirates and anybody else who threatens the peace. Often with limited resources, what means that commanding officers like me have to do with what they have, not what they want." Tanikov looked Kolt stern into the eyes. "Make no mistake about that. You and your friends are resources of the empire. We all are. Valuable resources, but resources that have to serve a purpose and once you're in my position you 'll be responsible for more than the men and women under your command.

One day you'll understand that. Perhaps sooner than you prefer."

"Captain, I'm not sure if I know, what you mean by that."

"What I mean is, that you have shown promising potential as a leader of your flight-group. You won't be a small flight-lieutenant for your entire life. If you survive long enough and manage to keep your temper under control." Kolt Ceavers blushed and Tanikov had to grin. "Not every commanding-officer is as understanding as me, you know." The commander turned silent for a moment. "Now go and look after your friends."

"Yes Sir." Kolt answered.

Making a sharp salute he turned and left Tanikov's office.

There were a lot of things he had to think about.

The End.


End file.
